Oh, here’s a link in case you don’t know your zone already. If you’re going to do any gardening, it is one of the first things you need to find out.
My faerie roses have done well even though I don’t do much but water them and fertilize them once a year.
When I toured the gardens at The Biltmore, the expert there recommended lots of sun and allowing air to circulate around the bush. Don’t plant them too close to each other.
Thanks to this, I now know I am a Zone 5B.
I’m watering the roses once per day at noon, dividing the contents of a large watering can between them. I guess a watched rose never grows, 'cause I’m anxiously looking for signs of intent to thrive but haven’t noticed any changes. (“Was that leaf there yesterday?”) I take the fact that they haven’t died yet as a positive sign.
I talked to my grandma about this situation. She gave me a grocery list for the plants-- literally-- leftover foods and beverages which I should give to the roses. (I had a vision of kneeling before them, holding a tray aloft: “Oh, mighty Carpet Rose, acccept thou my humble offering.”)
Some of her advice sounded patently odd, but I’ve got to admit, her thumb is greener than any I’ve ever seen. I swear to Og, she could shove a nickel down in the dirt, and something beautiful would grow.
Hi, Zone 5b! Me, too. Well, we’re borderline 5B and 6A. I think you’ll find roses dig 5b.
I live in southeastern Ohio, where the soil is naturally acidic. If blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons, or roses seem to thrive in your neighbors’ yards, you probably have acid soil, too. If not, and if your roses don’t seem to thrive, think about testing your soil for its pH. It’s easy to add acid if you need to. Not a good idea to add it without testing as you might be in an acidic region.
You have now exhausted all of my knowledge of roses. 
If you’re ready to get a wee bit more complicated, let me introduce you to the concept of microclimates. You’re a Zone 5b - if you love a plant that is, say, a Zone 6 or 7, you might get away with it planted right next to the house, so it can absorb the heat radiating from your house in winter.
Watering and planting plants is best done in the early morning or evening, not in the heat of the day. I’m not sure why - shock to their systems, or something. Maybe they just like siestas.
Oh, and transplanted plants might not show any signs of life until next year. We planted peonies last year, and they did absolutely nothing until this spring, when they shot up and flourished. I’ll tell you, though, seeing your little plants grow and thrive is such a thrill. I can see why people get so hooked on gardening.
I haven’t bought my annuals yet this year because we had a very cold spring (I live in SW Ohio) and because we planned on taking a vacation in early June (we leave Friday). Since annuals need to be watered every single day, sometimes twice a day, when it starts to bake here, I decided to spare the neighbors a trip and just wait until I returned.
Anywho, the other day I went out on the deck and lo and behold, in one of the empty planters was a beautiful rogue purple wave petunia. I had planted wave petunias in the 5 planters which surround my deck last year. Somehow it survived the winter even though they were in very shallow containers. I checked the other containers, and 3 of the 5 have wave petunia sprouts. (They were the containers that received the most shelter from the house and neighboring trees/bushes).
Woo hoo!!! Free annuals!
The downside is that now I have to ask the neighbor go come water my planters after all. (“Um, yes, can you come water my petunia sprouts? I realize that they’re only a centimeter wide, but do you know how much the nursery wants for wave petunias?”)
Watering during peak sun means the water evaporates too quickly and doesn’t reach deep enough into the ground. The plant doesn’t get enough water, and the roots have to stay close to the surface to get what moisture there is. For most (not all) plants, you want the roots to grow down and get a deep hold, rather than stay shallow where they don’t get the proper nutrients and aren’t as stable.
Well, there ya go.
For the same reason, when you water, water deeply. You’re better off running the sprinkler for an hour once a week than for ten minutes a day.